They twirled the stage of the Lubbock Memorial Civic Center in frilled, rainbow-colored ensembles from a simpler time.

Some people visited Lubbock Centro Aztlan’s Viva Aztlan Festival on Friday and Saturday, March 14 and 15, for the culture lessons and the Hispanic pride. Others think the upbeat music and eye-catching dances are just plain fun.

“A lot of people enjoy it because it’s colorful and entertaining,” spokeswoman Zenaida Aguero-Reyes said. “You see a lot of pride.”

Folkloric dance

In the folkloric dance competition, contestants paraded across the stage with performances representative of various parts of Mexico.

Sixteen-year-old Bianey Chairez performed “Moreno” and “Bamba” from Veracruz. She described the pieces as “happy and upbeat” with romantic undertones.

“It’s like you’re at a party and you’re flirty with guys,” she said.

Jaqueline Chavira, 17, danced to “Danzon” and “Candela,” songs with roots in the same coastal town.

“ ‘Danzon’ is more exotic,” she said. “Both are very different, even though they’re both from Veracruz.”

Other folkloric-dance styles are as varied as the terrain south of the border.

The northern state of Chihuahua is all about polka, for example, while Jaliscense music from Jalisco is associated with lively beats and lots of movement, Aguero-Reyes said.

“There’s tons of different styles,” she said.

Perfecting the dances takes hours each day of after-school practices. When showtime draws near, the young dancers invest even more time.

“We take an hour doing our hair and makeup because it’s a lot to do,” said Vicky Ortega, 14. “Rehearsals are intense because we want to get everything down.”

Mariachi

The stage brought no shortage of music to accompany the dancing.

Carlos Merlot was among the black suit-clad mariachis to entertain Saturday night. Ask him his favorite song to perform, and he ponders a moment before responding, “La Negra.”

“It’s the most traditional and most recognizable,” he said.

Manny Talamantes, another mariachi, can’t pick a favorite.

“I like the entire genre of mariachi,” he said. “It’s part of our Hispanic culture.”

Most of the performers have full-time jobs but sing and dance as hobbies or side gigs. Talamantes, for instance, is the band director at El Paso’s Bel Air High School, while Merlot is a music education major at Texas Tech.

“It’s a fun hobby,” he said. “I get to play music and entertain people.”

The Viva Aztlan Festival began 20 years ago with efforts by Aguero-Reyes’s father, the late Vidal Aguero.

“He created it because he wanted to find a way that people could come together and learn about our culture,” Aguero-Reyes said.